A semiconductor light emitting element includes a sapphire substrate from which light is extracted, an n-GaN layer, a light emitting layer, a p-GaN layer, a transparent electrode, an insulating layer, a barrier layer and an AuSn layer sequentially stacked in this order on the sapphire substrate. The AuSn layer is bonded to a wiring board. The transparent electrode and the barrier layer are directly connected by a p-type electrode disposed in the lateral side of the insulating layer. A metal reflective layer made of Al is embedded in the insulating layer. The insulating layer (the insulating layer in the side of the transparent layer) is sandwiched between the metal reflective layer and the transparent layer made of ITO.
When the light emitting layer emits light, most of the light is extracted from the sapphire substrate, while some light propagates to the transparent electrode rather than the sapphire substrate. After transmitting through the transparent layer, the light propagating to the transparent electrode is reflected at an interface between the metal reflective layer and the insulating layer, and is extracted from the sapphire substrate via the transparent electrode.